


Imperial Partner

by DesertVixen



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: F/M, post-Komarr, spoilers for canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-07
Updated: 2014-04-07
Packaged: 2018-01-18 12:43:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1429015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/pseuds/DesertVixen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gregor Vorbarra considers his future with Laisa</p>
            </blockquote>





	Imperial Partner

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fawatson](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fawatson/gifts).



Sunlight was beginning to filter through the sheer curtains when Gregor woke to find himself not-alone. Finally, he thought. The last few days had seemed like an eternity. Laisa lay beside him, a few crushed flowers still caught in her ash-blonde curls, a few scattered across the pillowcase. He reached over to disentangle one near her face, and saw her eyes open. 

“Good morning,” she murmured as she stretched. Gregor watched appreciatively, then started slightly as he felt her hand brush against his stomach, and then lower.

“It certainly looks to be,” he said softly, turning onto his side to give her easier access, to touch his lips to hers. “Much nicer than yesterday morning.”

“Yesterday morning wasn’t that bad,” she replied, and then moved to ensure she had his full attention.

*** *** ***

Later, Laisa laid her head against his shoulder. “All right, so that was much nicer than yesterday morning.”

“Less stressful, definitely.” They would have a week of seclusion, and then it would be time to travel to Komarr for the second ceremony. He tried to imagine all the things they could do in a week, with no pressing duties and no outside world intruding on every aspect of their life. 

The pounding on the outer door broke their comfortable silence. It was not the discreet knock of a servant, nor the authoritative knock he was used to from the small group of people who were able to knock on his door, rather than going through one of his layers. Instead, it was urgent, almost-not-quite frenzied. 

Gregor stalked to the door after hastily pulling on his robe. This had better be something important, or whoever was on the other side would be packing their bags for Kyril Island, he thought. They had managed a whole twelve hours of peace. 

He jerked the door open, surprised to find Guy Allegre standing there.

“Sire.” Allegre didn’t even make a token apology for disturbing the Emperor’s honeymoon. “I need for you and the Empress to return to the Imperial Residence with me immediately.” He took a deep breath. “The wormhole has collapsed.”

Gregor turned to see Laisa standing behind him, knew that the horror on her face was surely reflected on his...

*** *** *** 

It was just another variation on his old nightmare, Gregor told himself as he sat up in bed. That would teach him to read Miles’ reports before bedtime. It was a change, at least, from his usual one, the dream that found him at mercy of Mad Emperor Yuri. A new Time of Isolation, a Barrayar plunged back into the dark alone - he had feared Komarran uprisings would cause problems, cause more bloodshed, but he had never envisioned the plan that Miles had uncovered - with some help from a woman who sounded most intriguing. 

It wasn’t merely his fear of following in the footsteps of his father or grandfather, of mental instability transmitted like some sort of venereal disease, or the fact that he had no desire to marry a woman whose family tree’s branches were entwined with his own that had prompted him to marry an off-worlder. 

He would do his duty to the Imperium, but he would do it in a way that he could live with. If he married another Vor, could he ever be sure that she had married Gregor Vorbarra and not the Emperor? Could he be sure that she was not merely doing her Vorish duty? Marrying a prole carried its own dangers, and Gregor didn’t care to have a wife who could never feel his equal. There was no question that there were women who occupied the space between High Vor and prole, such as the Koudelka girls, but none of them had ever made him feel a spark. None of them had ever made him brave enough to ask her to share the insanity that was his position as ruler of the Imperium.

What he had wanted – needed – was what he had seen for the seven years he’d lived with his foster parents, that sense of not merely being half of a couple, but half of a whole. He needed a partner, an equal, someone he could not only discuss weighty issues with, but someone with whom he could simply be Gregor. 

The first time he had seen Laisa, at the reception, there had been a spark. It wasn’t just that she was a beautiful woman, but there had been something about her that called to him. Maybe not love at first sight, but that had not taken so long, either. He had felt a slight twinge of guilt about monopolizing one of his officer’s dates, but he’d been quick to realize that there was nothing between Laisa and Duv Galeni but friendship. She might be one of his subjects, but she had been confident enough to seize the opportunity to make a case for Komarr – and for her family’s corporation – at a formal dinner. 

After a somewhat whirlwind courtship, he had asked Laisa to marry him. He was still a little surprised that she had accepted him and Barrayar. Part of him still worried that she had made a decision that she would regret, that she would eventually find Barrayar too constricting. The rest of him was still trying to get over the shock and pleasure that she had said yes.

Laisa’s family belonged to the group of Komarrans who had chosen pragmatism over patriotism when the Barrayaran forces boiled out of their wormhole to avenge themselves on the world that had permitted Cetagandan forces to transit their system with the intent of enslaving Barrayar. Few things united a planet like twenty years of occupation and resistance, and his grandfather Ezar had not had trouble convincing the Council of Counts that the only way to secure Barrayar’s safety and independence was to bring Komarr into the Imperium, whether they wished to be part of the Imperium or not. The Toscanes had done well enough in the past thirty-six years, but Gregor was certain they had never thought of their daughter as a potential Empress.

Laisa would be unlike previous Empresses. She would be the first one with a security clearance high enough to receive briefings about anything more important than the guest list for the Winterfair ball, the first one with a real say in government affairs. They would have to be careful to avoid perceptions of favoritism towards Komarr, but she wouldn’t have to hide her influence and interests.  
Gregor had to hand his son – their son, he thought with a smile – a Barrayar that was less dysfunctional. The reforms he had instituted were simply different expressions of that desire – a Barrayar that was better not just for the Vor, but for all Barrayarans. As Regent and Prime Minister, Aral Vorkosigan had been able to push through a great deal of reform. There was still a great deal of work to do, a burden that had nearly crushed Gregor once. 

He wouldn’t let it happen again. 

Somehow, he felt that with Laisa by his side, it wouldn’t. In fact, he was looking forward to seeing what happened.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the story!
> 
> Canon references for Memory and Komarr.


End file.
